JCB's pedigree in backhoe loaders stretches back to 1953 when the company first pioneered the machine. Over those six decades the company has pushed back the boundaries in backhoe development and now two in every five of these machines sold anywhere in the world are made by JCB.

Today at Bauma the wraps came off the most efficient JCB backhoe loader ever, offering customers average fuel savings ranging from six to 16% at typical daily work rates, largely achieved through the introduction of a new EcoDig system incorporating three hydraulic pumps.
Users will be hit immediately by the striking new design of the machine, which exudes ruggedness and strength thanks to a re-styled counterweight and new vertical grille pressings which offer an even more aggressive feel. The sharper lines on the excavator and loader profiles contribute to the robust look, while the sloping bonnet retains excellent forwards visibility.

In addition, the machines benefit from a host of new features including:

Improved cab for greater comfort

New heated front screen - an industry first for backhoe loaders

An in-cab hot drinks machine

Power brakes providing proportional braking and fuel economy improvements

Combined hammer and bi-directional circuit for excellent versatility in attachment use

A nine metre factory-fitted hose reel for improved productivity and versatility

JCB Group Managing Director for Product Development and Commercial Operations
Tim Burnhope said: "JCB has been at the forefront of backhoe design for almost 60 years and through innovation we continue to raise the bar and offer our customers machines which have superior performance and are more cost efficient and comfortable to operate.

"The new generation of JCB backhoe loader represents a significant investment and the result is JCB's most efficient backhoe loader ever which has been designed with fuel economy firmly in mind. Whether loading, roading or digging JCB's latest generation of backhoe offers the customer a machine that works harder but uses less fuel.

"We believe the new JCB backhoe will cement our position as the world's best selling brand in a market which we expect to grow significantly over the next five years."

Increased Productivity
The biggest changes are under the skin. A new EcoDig hydraulic system now utilises three hydraulic pumps to provide the same hydraulic output but at lower engine speeds, itself delivering average fuel savings of up to 15 per cent. Operators are able to select from two working modes, either Eco mode or low flow, to optimise productivity and improve machine control.

A secondary benefit of the three pump design is faster performance of the extradig extending dipper stick, further boosting productivity. The new hydraulic system and lower engine speeds also contribute to a cut in exhaust emissions and a reduction in overall machine noise levels, both inside the cab and externally.

The new backhoes come with the existing EcoRoad options of Smooth Ride System (SRS) and TorqueLock to help boost productivity still further. TorqueLock reduces fuel consumption by up to 25% while increasing speed by up to 10 % and the Smooth Ride System maximises load retention around site for increased productivity and operator comfort.

Power brakes are to be introduced on both 3CX and 4CX models. The system provides proportional braking throughout the pedal travel, providing operators with improved braking and reduced effort.

JCB has also redesigned the pedal box in the backhoe loader cab, with an automotive style position which improves ergonomics. The power brake design ensures that there is full brake pad release when the driver comes off the pedal. This enables operators to better maintain roading speeds and contributes to a further one per cent saving in fuel consumption.

By using the machine's hydraulic system to supply oil for the power brakes, there is no requirement for separate brake reservoirs. This simplifies service and reduces the number of daily checks for the driver.

JCB's EcoLoad package of options add to the enhanced productivity. The return-to-dig feature automatically resets the shovel to dig position, saving time and effort; the transmission disconnect diverts hydraulic power to the loader for faster lifting, while the Hydraulic Speed Control (HSC) gives more tractive effort when loading. In addition, high engine torque at low revs provides excellent pushing and hill climbing performance and limited slip differentials (LSD) provide extra traction in challenging conditions.

A new design and a new cab
The best-selling 3CX and 4CX ranges benefit from a striking redesign, incorporating sharper lines in the counterweight, grille and bonnet, and making best use of JCB's bold new livery. The cab adopts a similar style to the JCB Fastrac, with improved run-off channels to prevent rain water collecting on the roof. The machines also benefit from independently adjustable working lights at the front and rear of the roof, providing improved visibility all around the working area in poor light conditions.

The cab is refreshed internally too, with a move to a black interior in the lower half of the cab, including the seat, which has new material to provide increased comfort and less wear. The pillars and roof lining adopt a lighter grey colour, making the cab feel even more light and spacious.

JCB engineers looked for innovation in every detail in the cab, and have found a new material to cover the redesigned steering wheel, offering improved grip for the driver. There is also a more ergonomically designed spinner knob on the wheel. The backhoes also benefit from new high quality switches, activating consoles which provide excellent light definition. The high quality switches have laser etched images that are clearly backlit, enabling clear visibility of switches at night.

JCB will be taking a lead from the automotive industry with the option of an innovative automatic heated front windscreen on all 3CX and 4CX models later this year. Available in time for winter 2010, the heated windscreen rapidly clears ice and misting in cold conditions, allowing the operator to get to work without delay in the morning.

Attachment Availability
A new combined hammer and bidirectional auxiliary circuit makes the fitting of attachment power circuits easier. The circuit has been designed to provide low flow and high flow across all 3CX and 4CX models, including all fixed and extending dipper variants. This greatly increases versatility for the customer as the machines are compatible with an increased number of optional attachments.
There is also the option of a new 9m hose reel on the Hand Held Tool Circuit, that allows contractors to use hydraulic power tools alongside the backhoe loader, removing the need for separate power packs.

Taking A Break
JCB has always been at the forefront of backhoe loader design and production, leading the world in innovation and machine performance. Yet sometimes it is the small things that matter most to the operator.

In the 1970's JCB took the time to think of the operator first, supplying a kettle as an option with each machine so that the driver could make a hot drink even when away from the site facilities.

Now JCB is to revive this link with the past. All 3CX and 4CX models will be available with an optional hot drinks machine, capable of producing tea or coffee, that will lock securely into an area at the side of the cab. The machine uses the 12V supply directly from the machine and has been designed to fit into the existing cab layout.

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2006 JCB 3CX14 Loader Backhoe Excavator Trencher    US $39,800.00

2008 JCB Backhoe 3CX14 Loader    US $56,800.00

JCB 210S BACKHOE LOADER SMALL SIZE HUGE ADVANTAGES    US $24,800.00

JCB 208S SKID STEER LOADER BECKHOE    US $17,500.00

1987 JCB 1400B Backhoe Loader No Reserve    US $2,850.00

1997 JCB LOADER BACKHOE 217S 3 PERKINS DIESEL    US $4,250.00

Backhoe Lock fits Case CAT JCB Deere New Holland more    US $89.00

Skid Steer Loader Excavator Backhoe Bobcat Attachment    US $910.00

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Executives at Caterpillar, the world's largest maker of bulldozers, met with employees in Aurora this week to explain that the idea to build a new facility in an as yet unnamed location is preliminary at this point and part of an ongoing analysis.

"We're taking a strategic look and studying the best approach to take long term," said Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan. "The excavator business is highly competitive."

About 250 of the 2,300 employees at the Aurora facility work on the hydraulic excavator assembly. The local plant also produces wheel loaders, soil and landfill compactors, wheel dozers and other components.

The company is "contemplating" constructing a free-standing building to assemble the hydraulic excavators. The new Caterpillar plant would house the assembly of the two excavator models currently built in Aurora and additional excavator models now produced in Japan and exported to the United States. The company also makes excavators in Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Indonesia and Russia.
"The thinking behind this is if a focused, stand alone facility in the United States to produce the excavators would be a better approach to take," Dugan said. "If the plan moves forward, three or four years down the road, we'd have a single facility that would produce a wider range of excavators."

Hydraulic excavators are widely used in applications around the world. If finalized and approved, the new U.S.-based factory would be the primary North American source for excavators, the company said. Under this scenario, Caterpillar's Akaski, Japan, excavator facility would have the available capacity needed to better serve customers in the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific region.

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Cat 320 L Excavator in Excellent Condition Lower Start$    US $26,950.00

1999 Caterpillar Excavator 345BL Low Hours    US $52,000.00

1996 Caterpillar Excavator 325 BL Good condition    US $40,000.00

Caterpillar 315B 30 Inch Wide ENTEK Cat 315 Bucket    US $1,999.00

2001 Caterpillar 3015 Mini Excavator Cat 1990 Hours    US $12,000.00

Caterpillar Excavator 320c L NO RESERVE    US $46,600.00

1997 Caterpillar 330BL hydraulic excavator    US $59,000.00

1989 Caterpillar 235C Excavator Long Arm Excellent    US $25,000.00

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The publication honored New Holland for the curved boom and one-touch flip-up hood featured on the new series of loader backhoes. The curved boom lowers the transport height by 6 inches and allows for greater digging forces and digging depths. The one-touch flip-up hood is easy to open, and provides wide, easy access for routine maintenance needs.

Construction Equipment editors annually select the 100 most exciting product introductions of the year. Advances in technology, new product lines, and significant improvement to existing products are considered to determine the top 100.

From digging or loading, to trenching or pushing, the B Series loader backhoes respond with the power and torque needed to get the job done fast. The six models range in gross horsepower from 95 to 110 (71 to 82 kW) and feature Tier 3-certified turbo-charged 4.5-liter engines. The loader backhoes excel in tough digging conditions, with loader breakout forces ranging from 12,169 lbs (5520 kg) to 15,212 lbs (6900 kg).

For product information, finance offers and more, please visit www.newholland.com. For a New Holland loader backhoe product demonstration, see your local New Holland dealer.
New Holland Construction manufactures and markets a full line of skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, loader backhoes, tractor loaders, excavators, compact and full-sized wheel loaders, crawler dozers, motor graders and telehandlers. More information is available at www.newholland.com.

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New Holland LB75B Tractor Loader Backhoe    US $39,995.00

2005 New Holland LB75B Backhoe Loader    US $21,000.00

2001 New Holland LB 110 Tractor Loader Backhoe 4WD    US $24,900.00

1999 New Holland 4x4 back Hoe    US $20,500.00

SWEEPSTER HB72 PICKUP BROOM WITH UNIVERSAL BH MOUNT    US $2,100.00

New Holland E15 Mini Excavator    US $9,495.00

BACKHOE DECALS CASE CAT JCB TEREX FORD NEW HOLLAND IH    US $100.00

2006 New Holland Backhoe LB110B Air Conditioned CAB    US $37,500.00

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Each of the new control system's successive settings results in more aggressive response, permitting skilled operators to use the machine to its full potential, but also accommodating operators of lesser experience. The net result is that jobsite tasks are handled efficiently and productively—no matter who is in the seat.

The HRCS standard setting provides acceleration/deceleration rates that feel smooth and controlled, as does steering response. In the intermediate setting, the machine will start and stop more quickly, and steering-response lag is diminished. When operated in the maximum setting, the loader will accelerate aggressively in forward, will stop abruptly and will respond instantaneously to steering commands.

C-Series loaders equipped with the Cat Advanced Machine Information and Control System (AMICS) option allow the operator to select one of the three response rates from the monitor in the cab. A visual indicator (one, two or three bars) indicates the selected setting. Non-AMICS equipped machines can be programmed with one of the three response rates via the Cat Electronic Technician system. The only cost involved for machines in service may be that of a nominal charge by the dealer for programming.

Owners of non-AMICS-equipped machines can capitalize on full HRCS potential, however, by adding an AMICS kit. The kit typically is installed in about an hour by the Cat dealer and has a list price of approximately $700. Equipping a Cat C-Series loader with the AMICS kit not only allows full use of HRCS capability, but also enhances the operator's control of the machine by providing features such as Implement Speed Control and Work Speed Control (creep mode), as well as providing an interface for an AccuGrade system.

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CAT 242 SKID STEER LOW 900 HOURS    US $12,499.00

Skid Steer Concrete Breaker Bobcat CAT Case Attachment    US $4,150.00

Mini Skid Steer Brush Mower Bobcat Toro ASV Attachment    US $2,838.60

NEW HOLLAND LX665 Turbo NO RESERVE Only 770 Hours    US $7,900.00

Skid Steer 6 way Dozer Blade NO RESERVE    US $4,000.00

CAT 236 Skid Steer Loader Pilot Hand Controls    US $6,100.00

1

“40 Shows and Still Going Strong”

Power Show Ohio has solutions on display. When it comes to new technology, the greening of the power equipment industry and safety, Power Show Ohio will draw together the innovators and products that will inspire customers. Showcasing a wide variety of power equipment, Power Show Ohio will be a perfect opportunity for full-time farmers, part-time farmers, landscapers, contractors, commercial cutters, municipalities and all equipment users to see and learn just about everything there is to know about power equipment.

Power Show Ohio has become an event not to miss for all types of users of all kinds of power equipment. January 29, 30 and 31, thousands of visitors will explore the more than 600 brands of equipment. This annual show displays the newest and best in tractors, skid steer loaders, commercial mowing equipment, all terrain vehicles, grain handling, computer software, fence building, hay equipment, buildings, backhoes, logging equipment, compact tractors, livestock equipment and a number of exhibits from colleges and universities. Special daily educational seminars, door prizes, cooking demonstrations and the National Kiddie Tractor Pull are also featured.

Power Show Ohio will span three days and fully fill four buildings on the grounds of the Ohio Expo Center. A scene that could be described as a “power equipment extravaganza.”
Given its staging at a time of year when buyers are ready to buy and manufacturers have their newest product introductions in place, the show garners the spotlight in the equipment industry.
From its humble beginning in 1971, Power Show Ohio has grown to nearly six times its original size. The first Power Show Ohio had 51 exhibitors and covered 54,000 square feet. The 2010 show will encompass 300,000 square feet with nearly 250 exhibitors.
Power Show Ohio is held at the Ohio Expo Center just off Interstate 71 at Exit 111 in Columbus, Ohio. Admission is $5 per person, with children ages 12 and under admitted free. For a full schedule events, hours and ticket information visit Power Show Ohio online at www.omeda.org/powershow.

Now, as the 40th annual show draws near, Power Show Ohio continues to represents the complete power equipment industry the way no other show does.

According to Komatsu, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 excavator sips fuel and cuts down on emissions.

Hybrid technology is all the rage these days. Carmakers continue to add hybrid vehicles to their product line-ups, and in the last few years, construction-equipment manufacturers also have entered the game. Volvo, for instance, will soon bring a hybrid wheel loader to the market, and Doosan and Kobelco both are developing a hybrid excavator.
In North America, the first equipment manufacturer to get out of the gate with a large hybrid excavator is Komatsu, which has begun putting its Hybrid PC200LC-8 into the hands of U.S. suppliers. Komatsu began selling the hybrid excavator to Japanese construction companies in mid-2008 and to Chinese companies in August 2009.

Taking a cue from hybrid cars, which produce energy from the friction of braking, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 generates electricity each time the operator brings the swing arm to a stop. AC energy created by the stopping force is sent through an inverter to convert it to DC energy, and then stored in a capacitor.

Unlike hybrid cars that use a battery to store and discharge electricity gradually, Komatsu’s hybrid excavator employs a capacitor instead because of the high amount of force needed to drive the arm. When the capacitor receives DC energy from the inverter, it discharges the energy in a powerful burst to assist the swing arm or the engine.

“With a capacitor, we can store energy and have instantaneous energy available,” says Komatsu project manager Sean Maloon, “where as a battery would have to wait for a chemical reaction for it to work.”
Also powering the excavator is a generator motor located in between the engine and the hydraulic pump. The generator charges the capacitor when the swing arm is not in use, and it receives energy from the capacitor to help drive the engine.
In terms of performance, the 138-horsepower Hybrid PC200LC-8 is virtually indistinguishable from its non-hybrid brother, Maloon says. Both the hybrid and conventional versions of the PC200LC-8 have an operating weight range of 43,643 and 47,260 pounds. Both excavators also have a digging arm force of 27,780 pounds, swing torque of 49,907 foot-pounds, and digging depth of 21 feet 9 inches. Boom, stick and bucket cycle times remain unchanged.

The differences come into play when measuring fuel use and emissions. According to Komatsu, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 consumes 25 to 41 percent less fuel than its non-hybrid counterpart. It also produces less carbon-dioxide emissions; in an hour of operation, the hybrid excavator emits 22 pounds less C02.

The hybrid system is not solely responsible for the reduction in fuel consumption. While the conventional PC200LC-8 runs on a 6-cylinder engine, the hybrid is powered by a 4-cylinder engine. As a result, the hybrid excavator runs at lower idle.
“We lower the cylinder output and the engine RPM, and we use the generator motor and the stored energy in the capacitor to assist this 4-cylinder engine to act like a 6-cylinder engine,” Maloon says. “Less cylinders mean we burn less fuel.”

Because the excavator produces energy via the swing arm, operators will see more fuel savings the more they use the swing function, Maloon says.

“Fuel consumption is far less than a standard machine when you are loading a truck or digging a ditch -- doing a lot of swinging applications,” Maloon says. “If you are not doing a lot of swing applications, then you’re not going to be save as much fuel.”
The cab hosts just a couple of minor changes. The LCD monitor, for example, now displays a readout and status of the hybrid system. Also, just below the monitor sits a red button, which, if engaged, shuts off swing-arm operation in the event that the hybrid system malfunctions.

Komatsu says it is currently able to produce 100 Hybrid PC200LC-8 excavators each month at its Japan facilities. For now, Komatsu is distributing 10 units of the hybrid excavator to construction companies in U.S. regions that have strict emissions requirements.

Below, Komatsu's Sean Maloon explains how the Hybrid PC200LC-8 generates energy and how operators can montior the hybrid system.

Video from the tour's first stop, the ICUEE Demo Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, is now up on www.skidsteersmackdown.com. In it, contractors give their impressions of the new units right after tackling a Smackdown-type course.

"There's no substitute for getting in the cab and experiencing what a machine's all about," said Sam Norwood, manager, John Deere Commercial Worksite Products. "That's why we're taking Smackdown on the road with these new units. Plus, contractors literally told us what they wanted in these new models, so follow the D-Tour on and find out how we responded."

John Deere's www.skidsteersmackdown.com Web site, entering its third season, has featured real contractors using Deere machines to complete various tasks and competitions inspired by real job site conditions, as well as battles pitting Deere units vs. competitors.
The site also offers a chance to blog about the videos, a "Prove It!" section that details machine specs and conditions behind each battle, and a dealer locator to help viewers find their nearest John Deere dealer.

Visitors can also share the videos with friends and request a quote on Deere skid steer and compact track loader models. The videos from Smackdown's Season One are now available in Spanish.

Be sure to look for new videos on www.skidsteersmackdown.com as the D-Tour continues across the country.
New John Deere D-Series skid steer models are the 318D, 320D, 326D, 328D and 332D, joining the existing small-frame, radial lift 313 and 315. For the CTL line, the new 319D, 323D, 329D and a 90-hp 333D join the small-frame, radial lift CT315.

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Skid Steer Concrete Breaker Bobcat CAT Case Attachment    US $4,150.00

John Deere 325 skid steer 232 hours NO RESERVE    US $21,500.00

2008 John Deere 317 Skid Steer w Trailer low hours    US $14,000.00

JOHN DEERE 320 SKID STEER LOADER BOBCAT 374 HOURS    US $16,645.00

Mini Skid Steer Brush Mower Bobcat Toro ASV Attachment    US $2,838.60

New Holland L190 Skid Steer Loader Case Hand Controls    US $8,300.00

CAT 236 Skid Steer Loader Pilot Hand Controls    US $6,100.00

Bobcat MT52 Walk Behind Skid Steer Loader 907Hrs    US $3,040.00

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The latest generation of machine-control equipment is helping a South Carolina contractor to slash by one-third the time an airport runway project would have taken with conventional survey crews and manual machine control.
Removing old Runway 03-21 and building the new one will take just 200 days—and require only one survey crew—at Charleston Air Force Base, says Brent Evans, project manager for Banks Construction Co. in Charleston. By contrast, it would require two survey crews and take 300 days to do the project with conventional equipment, Evans estimates. Banks is doing the earthmoving and base construction for the project under a $26 million joint venture contract held with two partners, Summers Concrete Contracting of Hahira, GA, and RC Contracting Co Inc. of Greenwood, MS. The general contractor is Northwind Inc. of Idaho Falls, ID.
Work on the joint venture began with the demolition of the old 7,000-foot runway. That involved milling the 8-inch asphalt surface and breaking the concrete under it with a guillotine hammer. Broken concrete was loaded into trucks and hauled to an onsite crushing plant, where it was recycled for base material under the new runway.
For the rough grading, Banks used two bulldozers, both equipped with Topcon’s latest global navigation satellite system (GNSS) machine-control technology, 3D-MC2. The technology automates blade control to maximize the efficiency of the dozer. On the machine, 3D-MC2 uses a rugged antenna mounted to a shock-absorbing pole connected to the blade. A receiver box is mounted in a secure location on the machine.
The joint venture uses an onsite base station to which satellites send positioning data. Satellites also send positioning data to the machine’s receiver. Together, the base station and machine provide real-time kinetic (RTK) position information that reveals the machine’s three-dimensional location on the site. Software compares the machine’s position with the design grade at a given location.
The project’s design firm, A.D.C. Engineering Inc. of Hanahan, SC, had produced a CAD file, which RC Construction used to create a digital terrain model (DTM). Banks then loaded the DTM into two Topcon FC-200 data collectors, and also into the control boxes on the two dozers—one a Caterpillar D6N and the other a John Deere 750J. The control boxes update positioning data and send signals to the hydraulic valves on the dozers. In turn, the valves control the blade, which is automatically positioned for elevation and slope. Other sensors inform the control box of certain machine conditions. For example, dozers are equipped with a slope (tilt) sensor on the blade to measure the cross-slope of the cutting edge. The system can also be run in “indicate mode,” which permits manual control according to position information on a display in the cab.
Evans figures his firm spent approximately $300,000 for Topcon machine-control and survey equipment in connection with the Charleston Air Force Base project. On this and other projects, the equipment will soon pay for itself in reduced surveying costs and improved machine-control efficiency, says Evans. If Banks were building a second airport project like this one, the two projects together would return the investment in machine-control equipment.
Why did the company buy from Topcon? “One reason was local support,” says Richard Rhode, survey superintendent. “We get local support through Carolina Positioning, our Topcon dealer. They give us excellent technical support when we need it.”
100 Times per Second
The primary benefit of Topcon’s 3D-MC2 system is speed, and, therefore, higher production. “A dozer operator running Topcon’s 3D-MC2 can easily double the speed of grading compared to conventional manual control,” says Louis Limehouse, the grading manager for Banks. The 3D-MC2 system uses Topcon’s GX-60 control box, GPS+ antenna, MC-R3 receiver and new 3D-MC2 sensor, coupling them with new controlling software to provide position updates at up to 100 times per second. The sensor combines a gyro, a compass, and an inertial sensor to measure the X-Y-and-Z position as well as the roll, pitch, yaw, and acceleration of the dozer.
Rough-grading for the new runway required moving some 30,000 cubic yards of earth to fills on new safety aprons, one at each end of the new runway. Cuts averaged about 8 or 9 inches in depth. With the two dozers, Banks brought the grade to within one-tenth of a foot of the desired elevation. Compaction followed with a Caterpillar CS 563D single-drum vibratory roller. “We put a lot of compactive effort into the subgrade to meet the required densities,” says Evans.
To fine-grade the subgrade, Banks used a Caterpillar 12H motor grader controlled by Topcon’s latest local positioning system (LPS), a GPT 9001A robotic total station. Richard Rhode, survey superintendent, earlier had surveyed the site with a Topcon GR-3 GPS to establish 34 control points at 200-foot intervals along the runway. So Banks crews simply set up the robotic total station on the control points and loaded the control file into the total station, or “gun” as it is called. To control the grader, the total station automatically tracks a prism on the grader and the blade responds by following the control file’s instructions.
“We used the robotic total station to get the fine grade to within 0.04 foot,” said Rhode. “The Topcon LPS does an excellent job in establishing the desired grades.”
With the subgrade finished, Banks began placing a 5-inch separation layer of crushed concrete that was recycled from the old runway. In similar fashion to the dirt, that material was rough graded with the GPS-equipped dozers to within one-tenth of a foot. The Cat 12H motorgrader, fitted with a prism and guided by the robotic total station, brought the separation layer to within 0.04 foot.
Placing the Drainage Layer
The Topcon LPS also came in handy for controlling the screed on an asphalt paver to place a drainage layer of cement-treated stone. Banks worked with Carolina Positioning to enable the prism to switch from the motor grader to the paver. As trucks unload cement-treated base into the paver, it inches along with its screed controlled by the robotic total station. The drainage layer required compaction with a Caterpillar CS 563D roller, so the paver was programmed with an offset to leave the cement-treated stone about 0.13 foot high, says Doug Brill, assistant superintendent. That number varied depending on the mixture of cement and stone, so Brill would adjust it as required.
Banks set up the robotic total station to work 800-foot-long sections of runway at once. The total station occupied a control point midway in each 800-foot section. Then the paver, working 14-feet wide in each pass, would pave ahead for 800 feet, back up, and repeat the process in the adjacent pass.
Brill was checking grade behind the paver with a Topcon GR-3 rover and FC-200 data collector on the day we visited the project. “It’s working great,” he said. “I just love this system; it’s awesome. We usually spend tens of thousands of dollars to have a bunch of surveyors around, and now we don’t have to do that. This system will put us way ahead of the competition in bidding for work. Plus, there is no guesswork involved.”
“The accuracy of the local positioning system is top-notch,” says Rhode. “It’s just as good as an engineer’s level—the system is operated by a Topcon GPT 9001, a robotic total station with an accuracy of one second.”
The composition of the safety overruns at each end of the runway is somewhat different from the runway itself. Banks graded the subgrade with the dozers equipped with 3D-MC2 and used the dozers to dump and spread base material as well. The base consists of 5 inches of crushed concrete topped with 11 inches of crushed granite. The Caterpillar 12H motorgrader, equipped with Topcon’s Local Positioning System, fine-graded the base stone. When the base is finished, Banks will pave the safety overruns with 3 inches of asphalt.
Banks officials are very enthusiastic about Topcon survey and machine-control equipment.
“What’s really slick about this equipment is that a simple rover can give you cuts and fills anywhere onsite,” says Rhode. “I take the rover pole and just try to find some errors in our grade, and I can’t find any. You don’t see any stakes anywhere on this site. We knew the dirt was on grade, we knew the separation layer was on grade, and we knew the drainage layer was on grade.”

Author's Bio: Daniel C. Brown is the owner of TechniComm, a communications business based in Des Plaines, IL.

The hydraulic system of the S800TX has ideal flow rate, capable of providing 14 gpm (53 L/min) of hydraulic flow that helps more efficiently power a variety of attachments. An optional dual auxiliary hydraulic circuit helps provide operational efficiency with varying attachments. A universal mounting plate allows operators to quickly swap out attachments, making the S800TX extremely versatile in the field.

Features to enhance operator comfort and safety have also been incorporated into the S800TX design, including a spring-cushioned ride-on platform that offers broad jobsite visibility and ease of stepping on and off the machine. An operator presence system, integrated into the ride-on platform, automatically suspends ground drive and powered boom/bucket motion if the operator steps off the platform. Console cushions positioned to the front of the operator and on either side help increase operator comfort, particularly when working on uneven terrain.

The S800TX ground drive is controlled by a single, pilot-operated joystick for a smooth range of motion. Boom / bucket motion is controlled by a single, dual axis joystick.